Ok I know that Malgas Island and the outer part of Saldanha Bay isn't part of the park but hope you'll bear with me on this. Taking a trip out with Brian is well worth doing if you're in the vicinity, although we were lucky as it was flat calm and we could get out to Malgas, he says he's usually restricted to Schaapen Island and zone A of the lagoon.

The boat allowed close approach to the rocks with more Black Oystercatchers (much better light this time)

Great being able to see the Cape Gannets close to (adult first and second then a 2nd/3rd year bird)

On the way back we bumped into (almost literally) two Sunfish, the first was about 3m from fin tip-fin tip, the second rather smaller only about 1.5m

Shortly after the Sunfish had good views of African Penguin

Saw this Pelican on the look out for a chick to snaffle on Schaapen

Very good views of the ubiquitous Kelp Gull

Part of the trip included landing on one of the sandbanks, wonderful experience wading through the water and being able to get close to the waders. More of that in the next post.

Peter

Last edited by ph87gb on Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Wonderful photos, the Spotted Eagle Owl is special, so too the Yellow Billed Kite. Next to the Black Harrier, the YBK the most difficult to photogragh, for me anyway.

Being on the sand banks is special, especially when the waders are visiting our shores.

By the way Malgas Island is part of the WCNP but a protected area. For the last 3 years the wife has been doing duty for the park, on Malgas and Jutten (also part of the park). During Cormarant and Gannet breeding season Pelicans come to the islands and nab their eggs/chics. A program has been set up to chase them to give the fledglings a chance. You're so fortunate to have seen a Pelican in the act of sussing out the scene on Schaapen. There the gulls breed to a large extent so there is no real threat but this is monitored from the land.

I live on the North Sea coast and often wonder which of the birds that pass through here are on their way to Langebaan. Can you tell me what birds spend summer there but winter in Europe or further north? (or are there too many to mention?)

Thank you for the stunning pictures Peter. Here its 7 degrees outside at the moment, but I could 'feel' the sunshine in the pics

_________________'“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.” The Peace Pilgrim.

I take it you mean birds which come up to the Northern hemisphere to breed? If so then the list is quite long and the following are a few of what I saw while in Langebaan:Common Greenshank Tringa nebulariaRed Knot Calidris canutusCurlew Sandpiper Calidirs ferrugineaRinged Plover Charadrius hiaticulaSanderling Calidris albaLittle Stint Calidris minutaRuff Philomachus pugnaxBar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponicaMarsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilisTurnstone Arenaria interpresWhimbrel Numenius phaeopusBarn Swallow Hirundo rustica

All of these could pass through western Europe but the presence of the odd species such as Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus which breeds in northern and eastern Russia would suggest that at least a proportion of the birds which winter in the Langebaan lagoon migrate up the east coast of Africa and pass through the Middle East on their way north rather than passing through Europe.

It's really fascinating seeing all the birds running around on the mud and thinking that some of them, might have been running around on estuaries near home but a few weeks earlier. It was especially amazing seeing all the Barn Swallow swooping over the Abrahamskraal waterhole.

Anyway that's just a short list, there's plenty more which I didn't see but which occur in good numbers. It's also a good reminder of the need to protect places like estuaries around the world so that these global wanderers have somewhere to feed on their travels.

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